by Nate Ryan, USA TODAY Sports

by Nate Ryan, USA TODAY Sports

TALLADEGA, Ala. - Beauty queen Katherine Webb was in the infield Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, but all the attention before the Aaron's 499 was focused on her boyfriend.

Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, who led the Crimson Tide to its second consecutive national championship in January, was the honorary pace car driver for the race and was feted by the track in numerous pre-race ceremonies.

The 2013 Heisman Trophy candidate, who traded in his Camaro SS for an SUV a few years ago but still loves fast cars, was behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang GT that led the field to the green.

It was a particularly special moment because he went one better than Alabama coach Nick Saban, who didn't drive the pace car as the grand marshal in 2009. Saban's advice to his star player this week? Don't wreck the car and maybe let someone else drive it. McCarron followed one of the two tips.

"I joked with him (that) he's one of the most important guys in the state of Alabama, and he had to ride in the passenger seat," McCarron said. "I said, 'What does it say about me, Coach? I'm driving it!' "

The only quarterback to win back-to-back titles since the inception of the BCS has been a longtime fan of NASCAR. He grew up a few hours away in Mobile, where his grandfather raced the local short track with pit crew help from McCarron's father and uncle.

McCarron said he has attended stock-car races, including at Talladega, since he was a toddler and was a big fan of Bill Elliott and later Kasey Kahne.

"Now I'm a Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. fan," McCarron said. "But we're definitely big NASCAR fans in my family. There's a lot of Alabama fans that go to football games that are definitely going to be here screaming, 'Roll Tide!' I think it's two great fan bases that really show their passion for their sport. I guess you can compare NASCAR to Alabama (football).

"It really is a special moment. Like I always say, even about the national championships, I have fun, but I like watching my family enjoy the moment much more. (They're) living out their dreams. That's probably the best moment."

Prior to Alabama's spring game last month, McCarron helped unveil a national championship paint scheme on the No. 55 Toyota that Michael Waltrip drove Sunday.

McCarron, who led the nation in passing efficiency last season while completing 67.2% for 2,933 yards and a school-record 30 touchdowns, might have a career ahead in professional football. But he dreams about racing at Mobile International Speedway when his playing days are over.

Sitting in Clint Bowyer's pit box during last year's Talladega race and monitoring the driver's radio traffic with his crew chief, McCarron said he saw parallels with being a quarterback communicating with his coaching staff during a game.

"It reminds you of an offense-type feeling where there's always got to be communication no matter what lap it is and everyone has to be on the same page for things to go right," he said. "You can really truly see it."